DEADLY OVERDOSE
WALLINGFORD MAN FACES TRIAL FOR ALLEGEDLY SUPPLYING FENTANYL TO 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL
MEDIA » A 31-year-old Wallingford man has been held over for trial on all counts for allegedly supplying a fatal dose of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl to a 16-year old girl in July.
William Michael Gabe is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, involuntary manslaughter and delivery of a controlled substance, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor charges of tampering with evidence, reckless endangerment and corrupting the morals of a minor.
Tinicum police responded to a report of cardiac arrest at the Red Roof Inn in Essington on July 14 and found the victim, identified as Morgan Murphy, unresponsive on the floor of a rented room. Neither police nor medical personnel from Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Tinicum Township Fire Co. were able to resuscitate the girl, who was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be drug intoxication, including fentanyl.
Jordyn Cook, 18, Murphy’s best friend, told Deputy District Attorney Laurie Moore during a virtual preliminary hearing last week before Magisterial District Judge Lee C. Grimes that she and the victim had ingested Xanax and brandy before meeting up with Gabe later that night.
Cook said she had been messaging Gabe over Instagram and the three shared a ride to the motel. Cook estimated the trio were in the room about 20 minutes before Gabe produced a powdered drug.
“All of a sudden, we saw drugs come out of Billy’s pocket,” said Cook. “It was like a white powder, but it was in a bag.”
Cook said Gabe handed the drugs to Murphy, who began laying out lines on a table. Gabe also produced a syringe and put some kind of liquid into it, said Cook, but he was unsure of what it was.
Cook said Gabe offered her a shot from the needle and she accepted. Gabe also took one himself, she said. She believed he used the same needle for both shots. Cook said she laid down on the bed and closed her eyes, but does not remember anything else until Gabe woke her some time later.
“Billy woke me up saying Morgan was dead, and that he’s f—-ed and he doesn’t know what to do,” said Cook. “I jumped up and jumped on Morgan and gave her CPR, mouth-to-mouth and nothing was working.”
Cook said she called the victim’s mother, Colleen Murphy, and believed Gabe was on the phone with police at the same time. Cook said Colleen Murphy directed her to call the police, but Cook told her she was scared. Murphy then told Cook she was on the way, Cook said. Gabe and Colleen Murphy were present when police and medical personnel arrived.
Also testifying was Tinicum Police Sgt. James Simpkins, who was examined by Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. It is rare that district attorneys handle cases personally, but Stollsteimer later said it is helpful for him to be present in courtrooms to know what is happening and that this case is important to him.
“I believe this 16-year-old girl would be alive today except for the criminal actions of the defendant in providing the fentanyl that killed her and then callously refusing to call for help when she overdosed because he didn’t want to go to jail,” Stollsteimer said. “He needs to be held accountable.”
Simpkins said fentanyl had been found in a baggie in the room as well as in powder on the table. Simpkins said he also reviewed surveillance footage that showed Gabe leaving the room and running to an area on the perimeter of the property. A check of that area produced a small trash bag containing a hypodermic needle and an ATM receipt that matched Gabe’s debit card, said Simpkins.
Not discussed at the hearing was video footage that allegedly showed Gabe, apparently intoxicated, entering the motel’s lobby area approximately one hour after checking in, according to a release from Stollsteimer at the time of Gabe’s arrest.
Gabe asked the desk clerk if the motel had the life-saving overdose drug Narcan available, the release says. The desk clerk said he did not have any Narcan and asked if he should call the police, but Gabe allegedly responded, “No, no, everything will be fine” before leaving the lobby.
County detectives told Gabe about that footage during an interview and he acknowledged that he had asked the clerk about Narcan when he was unable to wake the victim, the release stated.
During cross examination by defense counsel Robert Keller, Simpkins said the needle had not been tested for the presence of narcotics, but had been swabbed for blood to test for DNA.
Cook also said on cross that she did not actually know what occurred between Murphy and Gabe after losing consciousness. Cook said she was unaware of anything else Murphy might have ingested before the two got together that night, but did not see her use the needle or snort the powder on the table.
Keller argued the prosecution had failed to make out enough of a case to hold his client over for trial on at least the most serious charges of drug delivery and manslaughter, noting there was no direct testimony that Gabe had supplied Murphy the fatal dose or that he acted in a reckless or grossly negligent manner.
Stollsteimer countered that Cook did say it was Gabe who brought the drugs into the room that night and handed them to Murphy. Common sense also dictates that this behavior alone is reckless enough to support the manslaughter charge, Stollsteimer said.
Grimes agreed with the prosecution and set a formal arraignment date of March 31. Gabe remains incarcerated at the county jail in Concord pending $500,000 cash bail.
“I believe this 16-year-old girl would be alive today except for the criminal actions of the defendant in providing the fentanyl that killed her and then callously refusing to call for help when she overdosed because he didn’t want to go to jail. He needs to be held accountable.”
— Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer